


The Troubles of the Brute and the Flea

by Casisnotonfire



Series: The Flea and The Brute's Story [2]
Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Continuation, Lots Of Sad, MUCH more angst, Maybe sex, More Fluff, Multi, Poor Izaya, Sad, Shizuo and Izaya are still innocent, The Hilarious Romance Between the Brute and the Flea sequel, but then tons of fluff, we're back
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2018-09-24 12:13:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9726251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casisnotonfire/pseuds/Casisnotonfire
Summary: After being in a relationship for two years, Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo decide on taking their relationship to the next level by moving in with each other. However, Shiki has given Izaya a dangerous job that could cost him everything. Becoming alienated from his friends and boyfriend, the two strongest men in Ikebukuro can feel their relationship crumbling. Can Shizuo save Izaya from the clutches of despair?





	1. A Peaceful Morning

**Author's Note:**

> OHOHOHO WE'RE BACK IN ACTION, EVERYONE! It's been a long time, but the sequel is finally up and running! Enjoy~

Izaya let out a soft groan as he felt sunlight hitting him directly in the face. He was  _certain_ that he'd closed the curtains before going to bed last night. Sleepy red eyes opened, not at all surprised to see someone's face right in front of his own. 

Of course...

Izaya rolled his eyes in exasperation and went to sit up. Two strong arms wrapped around him, tugging the raven back into their warm embrace. 

"Goddammit...if I had a dime for every time I found a certain brute in my house WITHOUT permission I would be bathing in money." The raven muttered to himself.

He squeaked in surprise as lips pressed against his own, effectively shutting Izaya up. Slowly beginning to relax, Izaya gently returned the gesture. Soon enough they pulled away and Izaya looked up to see teasing mocha eyes gazing back down on him.

"Like you aren't doing that already, brat. You're so rich you could stop working now and continue to be wealthy till the day you die." Shizuo retorted, his voice light and devoid of any annoyance. 

Izaya huffed, unable to argue with that. After all, he knew just how much he had saved up over the years. 

In other words, he was set for life.

Just like a god should be.

"Why are you here, anyway? You're not supposed to move in for another month. Give me some peace!" Izaya whined, burrowing himself under the covers more in an attempt to hide

A sigh of exasperation sounded and Izaya felt a firm hand lay on his blanket-covered back. Relaxing under it instantly, Izaya cursed Shizuo inwardly for always knowing what to do.

"You were in such a bad mood yesterday so I decided to come over and surprise you. Should I have allowed you wallow in despair all by yourself instead?"

Shizuo's calm and steady voice made Izaya's eyes droop a bit as tiredness washed over him again. He yawned softly and lifted up the blankets to glare at his boyfriend. 

"I  _was_ in a bad mood because Shiki-san has been piling so much work on me these days." The raven explained, reaching out towards Shizuo.

Smiling, the bodyguard pulled Izaya in close and held him tightly.

God, why hadn't they done this sooner?

Izaya still had doubts about their relationship, he knew they wouldn't ever go away. It had been two years since Izaya had accepted Shizuo's confession and gave his own. 

They'd both gone through so much shit during that time, but Izaya was grateful for Shizuo's (admittedly) bone headed mistake of thinking the informant loved him.

After they had gotten together, their relationship was immediately one of the strongest things Izaya had ever seen in his life. Shizuo kept Izaya in line while in return Izaya calmed Shizuo down.

The city of Ikebukuro took quite awhile to get used to it though, that was for sure. Not to mention how gangs that hated either Izaya or Shizuo tried to get back at them by attacking the other.

After a few good punches or blackmailing, that fizzled out pretty quickly.

Many good things had come from being together with the blond, Izaya realized that some time ago.

He had grown closer to his old high school friends Shinra and Kadota. Everyone was slowly beginning to accept him, though there was still a long way to go.

And best of all...

Izaya had someone he could truly trust. Someone he knew would never abandon him and would always stay by his side.

That had seemed to be an impossible wish the informant cherished before Shizuo held him tight and confessed.

Ever since, Izaya had felt less and less alone.

"It's still early, let's get some sleep before work."

Shizuo mumbled, playing with Izaya's hair gently as his eyes closed.

"Love ya, Iz."

He mumbled, using one of the raven's many nicknames Shizuo had created throughout the course of their relationship.

A soft smile spread across Izaya's face as he opened his mouth to reply with words he was no longer afraid of using.

"Love you too, Shizu-chan."


	2. When a God Panics

Izaya frowned as he stared at his reflection, messing with his hair out of frustration. Should he leave it as it it? Or style it in a different way? His eyes drifted down to stare at the clothes he was wearing. A grey hoodie and some simple black jeans. Was that good enough? Just how fancy were these stupid hotpot get togethers?!

"Izaya, you've been in the bathroom for nearly an hour! We're just going to Shinra's house, it's not a big deal!" Shizuo shouted from outside the door, causing the panic stricken informant to roll his eyes.

Tsk, what did Shizuo know? That protozoan had been to plenty of hotpot parties before, of course he didn't have to worry about how _he_ appeared.

This was a completely different situation with him! After all, Shinra had finally invited him along with Shizuo to visit with everyone else at his house. That meant the van gang would be there, the three musketeers, Shizuo's coworkers, and probably even more people were going to be there!

And so far, only two out of those group of people knew that Izaya was coming: Shinra and Shizuo.

Izaya paced back and forth in front of the mirror, wondering if maybe he should even put a barrette in his hair. He'd done it before and Shizuo had liked it...would that be appropriate.

Before the informant could debate possibly even dying his hair, the door slammed open to reveal an annoyed Shizuo. He was wearing the same bartender suit as usual, seeming to have put no effort whatsoever in his appearance. Izaya couldn't help but silently envy the blond's uncaring attitude.

Not that Shizuo would ever know that, of course.

"Come on, princess. Act like you do with me and everything will be fine, okay? Just don't be a dick." Shizuo chuckled and grabbed Izaya's hand, pulling him out of the master bathroom before he could even protest.

A pout grew along the raven's face and he huffed to himself, folding his arms. Perhaps he should wear his usual clothing then? Mmm but it was already in the wash!

Goddammit, why was this so difficult?!

"We're leaving now before your head explodes." Shizuo decided and put his shoes on, handing Izaya's over to the perturbed raven.

Did these shoes even go with his grey hoodie? Granted, they were black and black went with ever but-

"IZAYA!"

Izaya squeaked in surprise as he suddenly found himself trapped in a bear hug. He slowly relaxed inside of it, laying his head against the blond's chest. His eyes fluttered shut as he heard Shizuo's steady heartbeat, beginning to return the embrace himself.

"You are absolutely wonderful, ya hear me? There is nothing to be worried about, I'll be right by your side the entire time. I promise." Shizuo murmured, one of his hands finding purchase in Izaya's hair as he began to stroke through it gently.

Izaya nodded slowly in response, mostly hiding his face now so the ex bartender wouldn't see his flaming red cheeks.

"I'm not a child, you know. Hmph, I don't care what they think of me. God's don't care about such petty-" He was cut off by lips pressing against his own, forcefully shutting him up.

Izaya sighed into their shared kiss contentedly, wrapping his arms around the blond's neck to pull him closer. It was too quickly when the taste of cigarettes, milk, and _Shizuo_ pulled away from him. He looked up at his boyfriend slowly, not at all surprised to see Shizuo smiling at him gently.

"I love you, Izaya." The bodyguard mumbled, his hand still secure around Izaya's waist. It was obvious that the ravenette was nervous about Shinra's hotpot party -and honestly, he understood why- but it still bothered him to this day that Izaya refused to confide in Shizuo when he was feeling out of control.

It had been two years, yet Izaya still kept his feelings to himself. Sometimes Shizuo would catch a glimpse of pain in his lover's eyes, a hint of nervousness in the way Izaya would tap away on his keyboard.

What always clung to Izaya though...was the unrelenting force of loneliness.

That was why Shizuo had convinced Shinra to allow Izaya to come to the party, promising that he would be well behaved. The doctor reluctantly agreed, and even more reluctantly agreed to pretend that he had invited Izaya himself without anyone asking him to.

Izaya would never know that part though, Shizuo would make sure of it.

Taking the smaller male's tiny hand in his own, Shizuo repeated the vows he'd made to himself at the beginning of their relationship.

That he would make Izaya the happiest person he could be, and that he would protect him even if the whole world turned against him.

Walking out of Izaya's apartment with the raven, Shizuo took a deep breath.

_I will always protect you, my flea._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally starting to get back into the swing of things! I'm starting to update long forgotten stories (sorry about that) and have been thinking of an update schedule.
> 
> So here's how it's gonna go:  
> TTOBF (the troubles of the brute and the flea), TOB (Time of Blood), and LMTE (Love Me Till the End) will update every other SUNDAY. 
> 
> TIAC (Three is a Crowd) and possibly three new upcoming series will be every other SATURDAY. 
> 
> This new schedule will be starting NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!
> 
> So enjoy~


	3. A Stroll Through Time

"You're still thinking about it." A voice stated calmly, jolting the raven out of his unending thoughts.

Izaya rolled his eyes and lifted up his head to give his boyfriend an exasperated look. "We're walking to Shinra's hot pot party, I'd find it rather odd if I wasn't thinking about it."

How had the blond even figured it out in the first place? The walk from Shinjuku to Ikebukuro had been peaceful, the two men speaking idly to each other. Izaya didn't remember acting so out of character that even the brute would be able to figure it out. Sometimes, Shizuo was so perceptive it was downright monstrous.

Shocking fact, there.

"There's no crinkles by your eyes when you're smiling. So you're faking it, like you do when you're worried about something." Shizuo observed, poking the skin right by Izaya's eyes.

All he accomplished was getting a hardcore death glare from his lover.

"There's never any crinkles by my eyes, I'm not old." Izaya pouted, placing his hands on his hips as he denied his accusation. He was forever 21, after all.

The birthday card he'd received a few months ago from Shizuo that had 'Happy 25th!' written on it was promptly thrown in the garbage where every other lie belonged.

"You also have dimples and freckles. Oh no, I think I spot a grey hair." Shizuo chuckled calmly, taking in another deep inhale of his cigarette.

Ever since Shizuo and Izaya became a couple visits with Erika became increasingly difficult. Especially when they got frequent questions on who topped who.

"Har har, keep laughing until lung cancer takes it from you protozoan." Izaya smirked back confidently, walking ahead of the blond with his head held high. Hips swaying behind him with hand firmly placed on them, Shizuo let the cigarette hang from his mouth as he watched his smaller lover strut down the street like he owned it.

Who topped who? How could Shizuo even begin to answer Erika's question when they never went further than a long -and admittedly dreamy- make out session?

Izaya just didn't seem to be interested in sex, and Shizuo never had the guts to bring it up. What if something happened to his boyfriend that made him afraid of intercourse? Or what if it simply made him uncomfortable and that's why Izaya never made any innuendos on it before? Hell, they had been together for two years and Shizuo never even saw his lover nude.

How were they supposed to live together in a month with such barriers still in place?

Glancing back over at Izaya who had begun to skip around childishly, Shizuo felt his lips tug up into a smile.

No matter, they would figure it out when they got there. Both of them were more than sure about moving in together so of course everything would be okay.

"Izaya, wait up!" Shizuo jogged up to him, pulling the raven close with an arm wrapped around his waist.

Izaya noticeably stiffened, his crimson eyes scanning the people around him so quickly it was almost unseen to the naked eye.

Shizuo caught it, though. Just like how he figured out the difference between Izaya's real and fake smiles. Even after being together so long it was hard for the informant to deal with affection out in public. Kisses were forbidden...and any contact outside of holding hands usually was too. The rules changed when Izaya was nervous though.

It was going to be his first hot pot, his first time actually hanging out with a large group of people that wasn't just a business meeting where the main focus was tracking down a traitor and recapturing them.

For Shizuo, he'd easily been accepted at the gathering Shinra always held without any fuss.

For Izaya...it was drastically different. Most of it was Izaya's fault of course -Kida would be happy to explain _why_ \- but the reality was that apart from himself...no one trusted the informant.

It was impossible to, so why would anyone ever want to talk about things with another person that could possibly leaked?

Not that Izaya would do it. No, despite how nervous Izaya was...his excitement easily showed through the brightness in his eyes and the lightness in his steps.

Unfortunately, it was unlikely anyone else would take that sort of risk. A few years ago there was no way Shizuo would so much as tell Izaya his favorite color. (The asshole probably would've already known it anyway)

So in a way -multiple ways-, it was understandable why Shinra initially refused Shizuo's request to bring Izaya over for the next hot pot. He'd asked previous times before and received the same answer, instead going to the party alone.

Each time he did that, Shizuo always went for a couple weeks without hearing anything from Izaya. It was like the informant disappeared from the face of the earth...and he knew why.

That's why this time when Shinra once again told Shizuo no -before he had even ASKED- he firmly stated that he would not be going if Izaya wasn't. The doctor reluctantly agreed after some help from Celty, the dullahan explaining how if they didn't give Izaya a chance than they were no better than he was.

Celty usually had Shizuo's back when it came to stuff about Izaya...she'd helped them fall in love in the very beginning.

Shinra finally conformed after a little help from Celty in the bedroom. If only Shizuo hadn't been waiting in the living room waiting for an answer and having to _hear_ all of that. The brunet agreed to act as if he'd planned the informant from the very start, Izaya being none the wiser.

Shizuo just knew Izaya would refuse to go if he realized he hadn't been previously invited and that his boyfriend practically had to beg for him to be allowed over. And then he most likely would've holed up in his house for a few weeks, focusing on his work and nothing else.

Shizuo sighed, squeezing the tiny human against him tightly.

"Ouch! Shizu-chan, I'm not made of stone. Be gentle~" Izaya complained, laying his head down on his boyfriend's shoulder as they finally reached their destination.

"Sorry, sorry. I forgot I was holding a flea." Shizuo planted a kiss on top of Izaya's head, ignoring the small kick to the shin he received.

Gazing at the door before them, Shizuo let out a small breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"You ready?" He asked, giving Izaya a curious look.

The raven huffed, closing his eyes as he folded his arms. Shizuo noticed how he pulled away to make himself look taller, that same arrogant aura he only suppressed for the blond coming back full force.

"I was born ready, Shizu-chan."

With that, Izaya reached forward and knocked on the door.

 

 

**Sorry for the super long wait guys, I'm officially back! Super excited to get back into the swing of things, school is finally over for the summer so I'm free to write fanfics for the next few months!**

**I hope you didn't mind waiting for so long, I apologize once again! The party will finally take place next chapter, along with a whole bucket of angst to officially get the plot rolling~ >:)**

**Now to get my last fanfic updated so everything is back on schedule (hA what "schedule")**

**Take care, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	4. Life is NOT a Party

Due to Shizuo's insistence on walking to Shinra's place for the most part of their journey there, it was easy to say they arrived a little late. But that suited the blond just fine, knowing that it wouldn't be as awkward with everyone already being there. At least Izaya wouldn't be caught in any one-on-one interactions, especially one involving Shinra. Shizuo couldn't help but still be a little nervous over his little secret, knowing the doctor was just as trustworthy as his lover was sometimes. If it wasn't Celty, Shinra had no qualms over betraying one's trust for a good laugh. But Celty  _had_ helped Shizuo invite Izaya here, so it was unlikely the doctor would do anything that could possibly upset his lover. Looking down at the small man beside him, the blond frowned at the sight of his pale hand quivering ever so slightly. At the same time though, his trademark smirk never left his lips. 

Shizuo sighed to himself. 

_Tonight will certainly be interesting._

Before he could say anything to possibly calm Izaya's nerves, the door was thrown open to reveal one happy underground doctor. "Shizuo! Glad you finally made it, my beloved Celty was getting worried!" He cheered a greeting, stepping aside to let them in. 

The doctor threw a glance at Izaya and gave him a grin, which the informant returned proudly. "Izaya, I wish I could say it was good to see you as well!" He smiled, his voice the same as it had been with Shizuo.

"Ah, the same goes for me. I was enjoying my time in Ikebukuro before your face popped up." Izaya's words dripped with syrupy sarcasm, already having settled into his persona around others. 

And that in itself made Shizuo's optimism crumble. 

Izaya wasn't good at speaking to other people as himself, his carefully constructed walls were almost impossible to tear down and that led to him being cold to mostly everyone. He was an untrusting person, and he didn't have the strength to put himself out there. Orihara Izaya was a coward, through and through. His fear of being hurt emotionally outweighed any physical injury he could gain as a result of his personality. 

Shizuo knew this well, having been the target of Izaya's wrath for most of his life. 

But despite this, Izaya had let him in. Shizuo had been able to catch glimpses of the true man his lover was, and the person that was had the blond falling for him over and over again. 

The true Izaya was a scaredy cat. He feared dogs and thunder, he got nervous talking to strangers, and he refused to look at any fish eyes. The true Izaya was intelligent beyond compare, but in a quirky sense. He had a knack for mythology, and he enjoyed poetry and documentaries on psychology. Humanity still fascinated, but the true Izaya held this fascination in a much more containable way than the Izaya he put on for show. The true Izaya was incredibly lonely, and he cared for the 'players' of his game more than he could put into words. Shizuo realized that the more Izaya hurt someone, the more it meant he enjoyed them. Because if he hurt them, then they would despise his very being. And that way, there was no possible chance of friendship ever forming between whatever player Izaya took an interest in and the informant himself. Izaya was safe from being hurt. 

It was self destructive, and it would only hurt Izaya in the end. 

Shizuo was determined to break Izaya out of those hellish walls. 

And to do that, he had to get his lover to open up to others. 

What better way to do that then have him attend a party with all of the raven's favorite players?

Taking his partner's hand, Shizuo nodded towards Shinra. "Thanks, we'll find a place to sit." He pulled Izaya into the doctor's house.

Shizuo could still feel Izaya's trembling fingers. 

* * *

It had only been a half hour, and this already proved to be a disastrous idea on Shizuo's part. 

When they'd first made it to the living room, the only warm welcome they'd received had been from Celty. Everyone else's smiles died off as they caught sight of the person standing beside Shizuo. 

From that time on, things had only gotten worse and worse. 

First, their lateness had meant most of the hot pot was gone. There was enough for two people, but Kida had taken a second helping after Togusa handed Shizuo his own bowl. The blond kid had walked right in front of Izaya, effectively taking his chance at trying some away in the blink of an eye. Togusa didn't seem to notice. 

Shizuo had kept his cool, assuring his seemingly unaffected lover they could share his bowl together. 

Izaya didn't reply to that. 

When they went to find seats to sit down in, it became apparent there was only one more open. The rest had been taken up by other people, while Shinra splayed himself out over a loveseat with Celty beside him. The seat was right next to Tom, and his boss eagerly gestured for Shizuo to sit in it. Shizuo agreed, grabbing Izaya in his attempt to have him sit on his lap. They usually did that when eating at home, as Izaya always enjoyed being close to the blond. 

It almost looked like Izaya was about to agree to Shizuo's offer despite his distaste for public affection. Shizuo guessed it was mostly because of how out of place the informant was feeling. 

But then Shinra had to butt in once again and exclaim that the seat couldn't both of them sitting on it, so one would have to stand. Shizuo could feel one of his hands twitching, but he agreed and turned to give Izaya his seat. 

By that time, the informant had already found himself a corner out of the way of everyone else to set up residence in. His hand had whipped out his phone, most likely texting a few of his clients. 

Izaya always turned to work when he was stressed. 

Shizuo gritted his teeth, about to go over and join him when Tom stopped him. It had been awhile since him and his boss had gotten a chance to speak freely, as there usually wasn't time at work. All of Shizuo's free time went to Izaya after that. 

He'd begrudgingly given in, sitting down in his seat and participating in conversation with those around him. Shizuo would just speak with them for a bit, just to see how Vorona and Kadota were as well before heading back to his lover.

* * *

 

Shizuo chuckled as he watched Walker and Erika get into it over whether a certain anime character was tsundere or himedere, gulping down some more of his hot pot. He smiled as Anri quietly spoke with Mikado at the other table. It had been a great party, and he'd gotten a chance to speak with almost everyone he had been wanting to. The sun had gone down a little while earlier, and Shizuo was sure it had been two hours since arrival. 

He'd attempted at getting Izaya out of that corner multiple times, but after three times of the informant saying he was busy with work, Shizuo gave up. 

Shizuo supposed he was lucky this night hadn't turned into a shit fest between his friends and his boyfriend. 

Of course, life always had to prove Shizuo wrong. 

"Neee Izaya! Why areeee you even here? Parties are for fuuuun, you're just beeeing an ass and hiding here!" The sound of Shinra's drunken giggles had everyone turning to look over towards the informant's corner. 

Shinra still had a half empty glass of wine in his hand, and Shizuo guessed he'd already gulped down four previously. The adults had brought out the alcohol earlier considering it was a weekend night, but many forgot how insanely low the doctor's tolerance was. 

"Don't mind me, Mr. Drunkey Mc Drunk. I just happen to be an insanely busy person, that's what happens when you're wanted." Izaya smiled sweetly in response.

There were no crinkles near Izaya's eyes as he smiled, Shizuo noted.

"Youuuu, wanted? Only peerrrson who wants you is Shiizuooo." Shinra barked out some laughter, slapping Izaya on the back playfully. 

"I meaaan...a-alll you doooo is sulk and mope and ruin the party! My corner might even grow musshhhrooms now cuz of you!" 

Izaya frowned at that, placing his phone back in his pocket. 

"If I'm not wanted maybe you shouldn't have invited me then, ne? You should just be thankful I came." Izaya stuck his tongue out, his words dripping with venom.

Shizuo's heart dropped.

"Inviiiited you? I didn't wannna! Shizuuooo just said he wouldn't cooome if you didn't. You should be thaaaankful someone loves your sorry ass." Shinra snorted, placing his hands on his lips.

The party was silent save for Kida's muffled laughter. 

Red eyes glanced over at dark brown ones, taking note of the guilty light in them. 

And then, the informant headed for the door. 

"If I'm not wanted, then I'll just leave. Should've said so in the first place." Izaya's voice had lost the lethal sweetness to it, now simply sounding devoid of anything. 

Shizuo broke out of his trance as the front door shut again, running towards it desperately. 

"Izaya, wait! Please!"

He stopped on the porch, staring at the empty street before him. 

 

 

 

 

Izaya was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**...Hi 0-0**

**Remember me...?**

**Well, I'm back! After an entire year, I've finally returned!**

**Sorry for my absence ;-; I have no excuse. I just lost my passion for writing and instead lurked on AO3 reading fanfics secretly for a whole year.**

**But now I'm back~!**

**I'd love to chat, but I still have more fanfics I need to update.**

**Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!**

 

 


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